In a computer system, there are various components that need to be electrically interconnected with each other in order for the system to accomplish its intended functional purpose. The main component of such a system is a central processor, or central processing unit (CPU). Internally, the CPU includes an arithmetic logic unit and a control unit. A CPU, however, will typically require electrical connections to external, application-specific devices that provide wherewithal for the CPU to accomplish particular functions. These devices are commonly referred to as “peripherals” or “peripheral cards” and, in general, they will each constitute an individual unit, such as an input device, an output device or a backing store.
As technology has progressed, and computer applications have become more convoluted, computer systems have become larger and much more complex. For one, more components are required. In commercial ventures, it now happens that even relatively unsophisticated computer systems can require many different peripherals. And, in each case, these peripherals need to somehow be properly integrated into a system. Further, the peripherals are preferably connected and supported in a manner that allows them to be easily accessed for replacement and maintenance purposes. Normally, such support is provided by a chassis.
In general, a chassis is an outer structural framework that is used to support electronic device(s). More specifically, in the context of the present invention, a chassis is typically shaped as a rectangular prism, and the devices it supports are peripheral cards. In most instances, several different peripheral cards (e.g. as many as four) are mounted on the same chassis. Further, large computer systems can require many chassis, with each chassis housing several peripherals. For each system, the actual number of chassis can vary significantly according to system requirements. On the other hand, the size of an individual chassis will depend primarily on the size and number of the peripheral cards it needs to hold.
Industry wide, variations in the size of chassis have been somewhat standardized. In general, all computer system chassis have a standard width. The height (or depth) of a chassis, however, can vary according to standardized units generally classified as “U's”, wherein one “U” is equal to one and three-quarters of an inch (1U=1.75 in.). Thus, depending on its depth (height), a chassis may be a one, two, three or four “U” chassis. In any event, it is not surprising that as the number of required peripherals increases for a particular computer system, so does the number of chassis. A consequence of this is: it is now common practice to stack many chassis on a same rack cabinet.
For many reasons, it can happen from time to time that a single peripheral card needs to be installed, removed, or replaced. When the peripheral card of interest is located in a chassis that is one of a large number of chassis on a rack cabinet, access to the particular peripheral card can be problematic. Heretofore, in such cases, it was necessary to remove the entire chassis from the rack cabinet. Then, once removed, it was necessary to remove the top panel from the chassis for access to the peripheral cards inside the chassis. All of this required special tooling, many man-hours and, more importantly, it often required the system be taken off-line while the changes in peripherals were being made.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method that facilitates removing, installing or replacing a peripheral card of a computer system, when the card is operationally mounted on a chassis and the chassis is mounted on a rack cabinet. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for removing, installing or replacing a peripheral card of a computer system that provides an adjustable mechanism for mounting different sized peripheral cards on the same chassis. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method that allows for the installation, removal or replacement of a peripheral card without otherwise interfering with or obstructing the operation of the computer system in which the peripheral card is a component. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for removing, installing or replacing a peripheral card of a computer system that is relatively easy to manufacture, is simple to operate and is comparatively cost effective.